Amazon RDS vs Amazon RDS for Aurora: What are the differences?

# Introduction

1. **Data Storage**:
Amazon RDS uses various database engines like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and SQL Server, while Amazon Aurora is a MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud that offers up to five times the performance of standard MySQL databases.

2. **Fault Tolerance**: 
Amazon Aurora has a higher level of fault tolerance compared to Amazon RDS, with automatic and continuous backups to Amazon S3, six copies of data across three Availability Zones, and storage that is self-healing and fault-tolerant.

3. **Performance**: 
Amazon Aurora is designed for high-performance applications, offering up to five times the performance of standard MySQL databases. It is optimized for memory and storage, making it ideal for applications with demanding performance requirements.

4. **Scalability**: 
Amazon Aurora is designed for scalability, with the ability to automatically grow storage as needed, scale read replicas to handle increased read traffic, and support up to 15 read replicas without any impact on performance. Amazon RDS also supports scalability features but with certain limitations compared to Aurora.

5. **Pricing**: 
Amazon Aurora is typically more expensive than Amazon RDS due to its higher performance and fault-tolerance capabilities. While Amazon RDS offers various pricing options based on the database engine, instance type, and storage capacity, Amazon Aurora pricing is generally higher for the same configurations.

6. **Compatibility**:
Amazon RDS is compatible with multiple database engines, making it versatile for different applications, while Amazon Aurora is specifically designed for MySQL and PostgreSQL workloads and may not be suitable for applications using other database engines.

In Summary, Amazon Aurora offers higher performance, fault tolerance, and scalability compared to Amazon RDS, but at a higher cost and limited compatibility with database engines.